Loading machine



J. A. FORSYTH LOADING MACHINE Sv QN QN NN QN Sv M. Mm, MM. Q*

En, 99mm 2 Sheets-Sheei N .UE

AIV@

Patented 'Jem 26, 1.926.

UNITED STAT JOHN FORSYTH, Ol' NEHACOLIN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB 0Fl- ONE-FOURTH T0v F UNIONTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

GLYDE J'. SEITE,

fs PATENT oFFics.

Loannm MACHINE.

Application illed January 13, 1922. Serial No. 528,978.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. FonsY'rH, a-

citizen of the United States, and resident of- Nemacolin, in the county ot Greene and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Loading Machines; and I do hereby declare the fol -owing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof. i

My invention relates to machines for 'loading coal and like materials into m1ne cars:

Oneobject of my invention is to provide improved means for gathering up) coal that l5 has been previously broken down y a shortwall machine, a long-wall machine or other suitable mining apparatus, and for conveying the coal to the mine cars in an improved manner.-

Another object of my invention is to provide a loading machine that will trim the working place and will properly load coal after ,any usual type of cutting machine, even though the cutting machine may have been carelessly operated and may have left stumps of uncut coal or masses that have not been properly broken up.

The present application is related to my copending application for Letters Patent, 30 Serial No. 508,712, liledOctober 19, 1921, wherein I have shown a complete system of loading apparatus including means for gathering up the coal, and a conveyer for conveying the coal away from the mine wall and loading it into a string of ca rs, the cars being run beneath the conveyor and being loaded from the end nearest the mine entrance, so that when the string of cars is completely loaded it is ready to be drawn out of the mine.

My said copending application 1s particularly concerned with the conveyer by means of which it is possible to load a string of cars in the manner stated. My present application relates particularly to the construction of the means for trimming and gathering up the coal and for delivering it to the conveyers claimed in the said copending application. f

50 In mining coal-by mechanical means the machines most commonly used are known `as short-wall machines, and operate by undercutting the face of which the coal is shot down with powder.

vrear of the machine is raised with a working place, after- 'Ihemachine is transported from one working place to another on a truck, is unloaded at the working place to be undercut, and is set up adjacent to one side wall, the machine being set at an angle so that when the end of the cutter bar reaches the end of the cut the front end of the cutter bar will be on aline parallel with the side of the working place. After the machine is lined up, the a jack and is blocked so that the cutwill pitch downward in order to keep the undercut near the bottom of the place.

The undercutting machine is then started and the cutter is forced under the coal, while cutting, by means of suitably anchored feed ropes or chains, and after the cutter bar enters to the full depth ofthe bar the machine is stopped and the feed rope or chain is moved across to the opposite side of the working place where it is madevfastand the machine is again started up and move bodily sidewise across the face, thereby undercuttin the place for the full width to ka. depth which is usually about seven feet. On approaching the opposite side of the place the front end of the machine is swung forward and outward to complete the cut and bring the outer end ofthe cutter bar in line with the side wall ofthe place. The machine with its equipment is then loaded on its truck and ismoved to the next place to be undercut.

Another type of machine for undercutting, overcutting or intermediate cutting is known. as the arc-wall machine and is built as a unit with its truck. As at present designed, the arc-wall machine does not cut close to the bottom of the place.

In operating both ty es of machines mentioned above, much di culty is experienced in getting the machine runners to cut close enough to the bottom of the place, and they will persistently leave several inches, or even several feet, of coal at the bottom. According to the present practice, these stumps of coal must later be taken up by hand picks especiall when a considerable thickness o coal has lay tracks through the working place.

Also, it is a diicult matter-to get the machine Irunners to line up the machine properly when starting the cut, and it is een left and when it is necessary tov frequently found that the machine is either not started close enough set at the pro er `ang e. At the end of the cut it is usua y found that the cut is not continued far enough. p

All of these errors in operation leave stumps of unbroken coal on the bottom and sides of the working place, and when the coal is shot down some of the coal remains in place and must be dug out by hand picks in order to maintain the width of the entry, and also to prepare the face for the next undercut.

My present invention aims to provide a loading machine which will not only gather up coal which has been broken down, but

will also trim away the unbroken 'svtumps of coal, thereby correcting any faults resulting from improper undercutting andshooting. To this end, the machine 1s provided with means for gathering up the broken coal and also with means for cutting any stumps of unbroken coal which remain on the oor or sides of the working place, the loading. and trimming being thus done in an entirely automatic manner.

The machine of my present application consists, in eneral, of an inclined gathering device consisting of an endless iiight-con veyer having a shovel device at its forward and lower end, and two endless-chain gathering devices arranged at the sides of the endless flight-conveyer and provided with Scrapers which are similar 1n a general way to the lugs and bits employed 1n chain cutter-bars, but which are so arranged as to scrape or push the lumps of coal ahead of them rather than primarily to cui:I through the coal. These endless chain devices operate to bring the coal upon the lower end of the flight-conveyer, and assist the flightconveyer to elevate the coal and deposit 1t upon a second conveyer which carries the coal to a suitable storage hoppen The iiiclined conveyer, with its endlesschain pushers, is mounted on a turret which `is carried by a carriage that is slidably mounted on a wheeled truck. This truck supports the intermediate conveyer which transfers the coal to the storage hopper.

JThe accompanying drawing shows the forinin which I now prefer to construct my machine, it being understood, however, that various changes may be made w1thout de parting from my invention. In th e drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine; F1g. 2 is a side elevational view with parts m vertical section; Fig. 3` is a transverse vertical section on the line 33, Fig. 1; Fig. l4 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 4- 4, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a portion 'of the carriage, showing the means for shifting the turret; Fig. 6 is an 'enlarged lon tudinal vertical section taken centra y through the rotatable contact device shown o the rib, or is not' amaeao in Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken l on a truck 4 having wheels 5 which run upon yinguidesv tracks 6, which may be the ordinary minev tracks andmay ties 7. 8 which transfers the coal per 9 indicated diagrammatically on Fi 2. As show n in my above-mentioned copening application, another conveyer may transfer the coal from the storage hopper 9 to a series of unit conveyers which carry the coal to the rear end of a' train of cars and which are speciically described and claimed in my said copending application. The present machine may, however, be employed for loadlng the coal into cars in other ways than by the use of my unit conveyers, and it is to'be understood that this 'machine is'not limited be carried by metal or wood to use with such unit conveyors. Electric I or compressed-air power for driving the several motors of the machine is brought to the .machine by means of the usual cable or .Plpmg The gathering conveyer l 1s mounted in a trough consisting of side plates 14 and a bottom plate 15. The side platesr 14 have vbearings 16 at their u per and lower ends in which are journale sprocket wheels 18 around which exten endless chains 19 carrying flights 20. 'At the lower end of the conveyer is a shoe 21 having fingers l22 which engage beneath the pile of broken-down coal 23 as the machine advances.

At each side of the flight conveyer 1 is an endless chain 24 traveling in guideways formed in upper and lower guide plates 25 and 26 and around sprocket wheels 27 carried by shafts 28 at the up r and lower ends of the conveyer. As s own in Figs. 3 and 4, the u per shaft 28 extends through the lower gui e plate 26 and into a bearing member 30 which extends through the up r guide plate 25. Near its lower end t is shaft carries a worm wheel 31 meshin with a worm 32 on a drive shaft 33 whic carries at' its outer end a worm wheel 34 meshing with a worm 35 which is carried at the lower end of an inclined shaft 36 provided at its upper end with a bevel gear 37 meshing with a bevel gear 38 on the armature shaft 39 of an electric or, air motor 40.

This train of driving gear is du licated on opposite sides of the machine or driving the two chains 24.

The track 4 also carries a conveyer'v to a storage hopshafts 17 carryingv The chains 24 are provided with scraper lugs in which may be placed lthe bits 41: having teeth 42, these bits beingI so arranged as to break down coal from the sides or face of the working place and also to break coal loose from the bottoni and assist in drawing the coal around upon the Hight conveyer 1.

For the purpose of driving the Hight conveyer 1, one of the shafts 33 carries a sprocket wheel 43 in line with a s rocket wheel 44 on the end of the upper s aft 17 of the Hight conveyer. A chain 45 extends around the sprocket wheels 43 and 44 and drives the sha-ft 17, which, throu h the sprocket wheels 18', drives the Hig t conveyer.

The lower rshaft 28 at each side of the Hight conveyer carries a breaking wheel 46 provided with several rows of teeth 47.l

When the lower end of the conveyer is thrust beneath a pile of coal adjacent to the rib, the breaking wheels 46 assist in separating and breaking down any coal remaining up after being shot, and also asslst the bits in delivering the coal properly to thev Hight conveyer.

The frame of the loader head, which supports the Hight conveyer 1 and the blt chains 24, is supported pivotally oni the shafts 33 by means of hinge-castings 10` and is suspended from above by means of chains 48, one of which is provided at each side of the loader head, as shown on Fig. 1. Each of these chains is attached at 49 to the side plate 50 of the frame and passes over a sprocket guide wheel 51 which is loosely mounted on a short shaft 52 near the outer end of a bracket 53 which extends forward' from the turret 2 of the sliding turn-table The upper ends of the supporting chains 48 are attached to the piston rods 55 of hydraulic cylinders 56 'which are supplied with liquid through suitablev plpe and pump connections, not shown, to raise or lower the Hight conveyer and the bit chains to the desired angle. y

The entire loader head, including the Hight conveyer, the bit chains, the motor 40 and its driving connections, is so mounted on the carriage 3 as to be rotated as a unit to turn the flight conveyer and its attachments in any desired direction within an angle of about 90o to the right or left, making a total angle of 180. For this purpose the turret 2 rests upon rollers 54 which are received in a runway in the carriage 3 as shown in Fig. 3. The turret 2 is provided with a circularly curved guide Hange 57 which runs in a curved guide slot 58 formed in the forward end of the sliding carriage 3. The turret 2 also has a circularly curved toothed extension 59 meshing with a pinion 60 on a vertical stub shaft 61 which carries a bevel gear 62 driven by a bevel pinion 63 on a horizontal shaft 64 which carries la` worm wheel 65 meshing with a worm 66 on a shaft 67 which is connected by means of a coupling 68 to the armature shaft of an electric motor 69. Themotor 69 is employed only for swinging the loader head through the connections liust described, and is provided with the usual starting switch, not shown.

In order to bring electric current to the motor 40 without interfering with the angular movementof-the turret 2, a hollow bracket 70 is supported on the frame of the carriage 3 and extends horizontally forward `to a point above the axis on which the turret 2 swings. At this point the bracket 70 carries a head 71 which carries electric brushes 71a that enga e contact rings 72 mounted in a support 3 carried by a holcontactors 71a carried by the head 71 are provided with the usual springs 71* for holding them in close contact with the rings 72 and thev brushes and rings are suitably insulated from each other and from their sup orts. An air motor may be used instead o the electric motor 40 for driving the conveyors.

The forward and backward sliding movement ofthe carriage 3 is produced by means of an electric or air motor 75 mounted on the carriage adjacent to the motor 69 and carrying on its armature shaft-76 a pinion 77lv meshing withv an intermediate spur gear 78 on a stub shaft 79 which also carries a spur ear 8O meshin with a pinion 81. on a sha 82. The inlon 81 drives a gear 83 on a. shaft 84 which also carries a sprocket wheel 85 over which extends a chain 86 which rests upon the side sill 87 of the truck 4 and is adjustably fastened at its` opposite ends by means of dead-eyes 88. Guide rollers 89 engage the chain 86 on opposite sides `of the sprocket wheel 83 and insure proper engagement between the Sprocket wheel and the chain. This chain and sprocket wheel construction is duplicated on both sides of the machine,` the shaft 79 being extended across the shaft of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1, and operating a train of driving gears similar to that described above. When the motor 75 is started it drives the sprocket wheels 83 and, as the chain 86 is held against movement on the truck-4, the carriage 3 is caused to move forward or backward on the truck 4, depending on the direction in which 4the motor 75 is started. The weight of the carriage 3 is supported by rollers 90, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.l

An inclined a ron 95 carried bythe carwheels, as shown in Fig. 3. The axles 125 riage 3 directs t e coal from the upper end are. preferably provided with .cushioning vof the flight conveyer 1 upon the second springs to take care of rinequalities 1n the flight conve er 8, which is carried by the tracks 6. truck 4 witii its upper run approximately This axle constructi n enables the conon :i level with the axles of the wheels 5, as veyor 8 to -be supported atv a level at or beshown in Figs. 2 and 3. The u per and low the level of the axles, and 'ves an unlower runs of the conveyer 8 rest uon Sheet obstructed" passage for the coa carried by metal plates 97 and 98, respective y, which this conveyor, with the result that the madirect the conveyer rearwar ly and u wardchine is low, which is desirable in machines l as shown in Fi 2,'and extend eyond which are to operate in coal mines, While at the rear of the truc so as to bring the rear the same time, the machine may be provided end of the conveyer 8 above the storage hopwith wheels of large size.

per 9. Guards 99 are supported from the The machine described above is employed sides of the conveyer 8, to prevent the coal to' gather up and load a cut of coal which from falling from'the sides of thepconveyer. has previously been partially or wholly That portion of the conveyer and its attachf broken down in the mine by any usual ments which extends above and beyond the means.` If a mining machine is employed truck 4 is supported by side plates 99* to it is removed, the coal is drilled and shot which the sheet metal plates 9 and'98 are down, .and then the loader, with its cars fastened. and conveyers, is brought up on the track 6.

Thev conveyer8 is composed of flights car- As the machine approaches the coal to be ried by endless chains 100 which extend loaded, the loader head is swung around around rocket Wheels 101 atthe opposite to bring the front end of the conveyer to ends of t econveyer. The sprocket wheels one side of the working place, and the con-` 101 at the forward end of the conveyer adveyer is lowered until its front end rests4 jacent to the apron 95 are carried by a. shaft 0n the iioor of the place. 102 which is adjustable in a support 103 by These adjustments are effected by means means of a screw 104. The sprocket wheels 0f `the motor 69 which swings the' loader 101 at' the rear or outer end of the conveyer head, and by means of the motor 75 which 8 are carried by a shaft 105 which is mount- Slides the carriage Alengthwise on the truck. ed in bearings 106 inthe side plates 99", and The motors 40 and 119 are started and carries a bevel gear 107 driven by a bevel Operate, through the gearing described, to ini-on 108 on an inclined shaft 109, the drive the first conveyer 1, the bit chains, ower end of which carries s, bevel r 110 the breaker wheels and the rear conveyer 8. meshingwith abevel pinion 111 on a stub The Scraper 111 S, Wltb tbe bits 41 as they shaft 112 which also carries a sprocket gaSS eIOuIld t e lower sprocket wheels, wheel 113 around which extends a chain 114 reak loose the'bottom coal and side coal,

that also extends around a sprocket wheel and break up any large masses of coal that r115 en a shaft 116 carrying a 'spurgar 117 have not been broken when shot down. The which igdrviveh by a, pinion 118 on the-armar lugs and bits also engage the lumps of coal turefshaft of an electric or air motor 119. rld tend vto scrape them around upon'the The` motor 119 is mounted on the rearend llghts 0f the @Onveyel' 1, this action bein of thev truck 4 and drives the conveyer 8 asslsted by vthe breaker Wheels 46 whicl continuously through the connections just loosen the coal above and enable the bits tol (es.;;1- ibd4 take hold of it. At the same time, the break- Tlievtj ick 4j is provided with an electric er Wheels 46 break down *my 0031 011 the or ,ilfpmqtpr 120 for moving the entire ma.V side which has not been undercut far enough chinepdthe tracks 6. The armature shaft or shot down. The conveyer 1, assisted by ofthghotor 120 Carries pinion 121 which,- the scraper lugs and bits, elevates the coal through a train of ,-:gears 122, 123 and 124" blought to it b the scraper lugs and bits,

drives the axle 125-`ofonelof the wheelsl and deposits t e coal upon the apron 95 All four of the axles 125 are provided with which guides it down upon the conveyer 8 sprocket wheels 126 and chains-127 extend which conveys the coal to the rear, elevates around the sprocket wheels 126 for the pur- 1t above the storage hoppel` .9, and finally pose of driving all of the wheels of the depOStS it in the Storage hopper. From truck.simu1tane0us1y the storage hopper the coal is loaded into Kioo ion

It will be noted that the axles form 'cars by any suitable means, such as the unit f trunnion mountings for the wheels 5, and conveyers described and claimed in my cothat the space between the axles is free from pending application for Letters Patent,

obstruction which would be caused if the Serial No. 508,712.

axles 125 consisted of shafts extending During the operation of gatherin up and across the machine. The axles 125 are inditrimming the coal as described a ove. the vidually mounted in bearings carried b sliding carriage 3 is moved forward by bearingframes 125 which bridge over t means of the motor 75. When the carriage lll tinue to deliver this coal `to the elevating),

conveyer.

When the reverse movement of the carriage is completed the 4loader head is then swung to the opposite side of the working place and the operation is repeated. After this second operation is completed the lower end of the conveyer is aga-in passed over the bottom of the working lace andl athers up any coal that may ave been roken down and may not have fallen on the conveyer. The loader head is then swung over again to the starting side of the working place, the machine is moved forward on its truck, and the whole operation is repeated in the same manner as above, except that on this second set of operations the front end. of the conveyer with its breaker wheels will usually reach the end of the undercut and as it is raised it breaks down coal from the face, thereby trimming the face and increasing the amount of coal that is broken out for each undercutting and shooting operation.

The machine described above has the advantage that it trims the working place and loads the coal in an entirel automatic manner after any type of cuttlng machine, and irrespective of whether the cutting machine has been operated correctly or not. It also has the advanta e that it will break down and load coal t at has been incompletel shattered by light shooting. Hand pickI work is thus eliminated entirely, not only in loading the main body of coal, but in'taking up'the bottom stumps and trimming the sides, roof and face. c

On account of the :fact that the machine trims the sides, roof, bottom and face of the working place and simultaneously loads the coal, a considerable saving in time is effected, and also a greater recoveryof coal, by reason of the fact that this machine breaks up and loads coal down to the bottom of the seam. The smooth and even bottom produced by this machine also saves time and labor in laying track.

Further savings in time and labor are produced by reason of the fact that the un- `lercutting need/ not extend to the bottom and therefore there is no dela such as now results when the cutting machlne encounters rolls on the bottom of the seam which makes it necessary for the cutting machine to be backed out and blocked up.

By reason of the turret construction de scribed abbve the machine is capable of loading oncurves and in close places to an extent which is not, possible with ordinary loading machines. y l

The no'l el `construction of the Iframe oi my machine, whereby the rear conveyer 8 is carried only a short distance above the floor, permits the entire machineA to be made much lower than ordinary loadin machines, so that this machine is suitable or use iny workin where the roof is very low.

ile I have described herein the manner in which I now prefer to construct my im,

conveyer, and scra er lu s with bits carried by the said chains or pus ing material upon said conveyer.

2. A loading machine comprising an inclined movable endless vHight-conveyer, endless chains extendin along the sides of said conveyer and para el thereto, and scra r lugs with bits carried by the said chains or pushing material upon said conveyer.

3. A- loadin machine comprising an inclined endless ii disposed adjacent to the sides of said conveyer and parallel thereto, bits carried by the said chains for pushin material upon said conveyer, teeth carried y said bits, and breaker wheels disposed cn opposite sides of the lower end o f said conveyer and above the lower ends of said chains.

k4. A loading machine com rising an inclined endless conveyer, en less belts extending along the sides of saidl conve erand paralle thereto, bitsl carried by tlic said chains and means for adjusting the inclination of 5. A loadin machine comprising 'a loader head provide with an inclined endless conveyer, and also provided with endless chains extending along the sides of said conveyer and parallel thereto, the said chains carry ing scraper lugs with bits for pushing material upon the said conveyer, a carriage supght-conveyer, endless chains,

the said conveyer and the said chains.

porting the said loader head, and means for the i chains, and also for vai-yin the angular position of said c'onveyerI an chains with respect to the said carriage.

7. A loadingf machine comprismgan inclined endless conveyer, endless chains extending alon the sides of said conveyer, means carried by said cha-ms for pushing material upon said conveyer, a carriage supporting `said conveyer, a truck s upportin said carriage, and means for sliding sai carriage lengthwise upon said truck.

8. A loading machine comprising an inclined endless conveyer, means for pushing material upon said conveyer, a turret supporting said conveyer, a carriage suipporting said turret, means on said carriage or angularly adjusting said turret, .a truck ca ing said carriage, and means for sliding said carriage lengthwise on said truck.

9. A loading machine comprising an inclined movable endless conveyer, shafts disposed perpendicular to said conveyer near the u per and lower ends thereof, sprocket wheelis) carried by said shafts, endless chains extending around said sprocket wheels, bits carried by said chains, and a motor connect ed to drive said endless conveyer and said sprocket wheels, whereby the bits carried by said sprocket wheels are caused to push material upon said conveyer, and the said convey r is caused to elevate said material.

lil. A loading machine comprising an endless movable conveyor, endless chains extending along the sides of said conveyor, means carried by said chains for pushing the material upon said conveyor and rotatable means at the outer ends of said endless chains for breaking the material and assisting in directing said material toward said conveyor.

Vwheeled frame, axles for individually supporting the wheels of said frame, a bearing or bridging each of said axles and leaving substantially unobstructed the space between said wheels, an endless conveyor mounted on said frame and having its upper run not substantially higher than the level of said axles, and a bearing'plate for each of the runs of said conveyor, disposed between said wheels and in a plane below the axial line of said axes, said plates being supported by said bearings.

13. A loading machine comprising a' frame having a pair of wheels at its forward end, two axle-bearings carried by said frame and each bridging one of said wheels, axles mounted in said bearings for individually carrying said wheels while leaving unobstructed the space between said axles, land an endless conveyor arranged between said axles with its upper run not substantially above the level of said axles.

In testimony whereof, I the said JOHN A. FoRsY'rH have hereunto set my hand.

. JN O. A. FORSYTH. 

